Clark Rises in Snowboard Final Audi quattro Winter Games NZ 2013

Yet again, the progression, passion and raw talent of professional snowboarder Kelly Clark was evident during this weekend’s Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup at the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ 2013. At Cardrona’s Olympic halfpipe, an incredible crowd cheered as USA Kelly Clark claimed her 61st career win as one of the most successful snowboarders of all time.

During her first run, Clark attempted a massive trick but fell. Despite her fall in Run 1, her focus was evident after she built her way up to a score of 89.50 in her second run to make her way to the top of the podium. Clark’s run featured a frontside air, backside 540 mute, frontside 1080 lien, cab 720 mute, frontside stalefish.

Clark’s solid run edged out China’s Cai Xuetong who took silver with 85.50 after winning her earlier semi-final. Not following far behind, American Gretchen Bleiler claimed bronze with the highest first run score of 85.25.

Clark remained optimistic and spoke of her performance, “You think of it as an opportunity. It’s easy to have things not go right and all of a sudden change your plans. For me it’s more important to be internally motivated, to stick to the plan regardless of what goes on around me (credit lemylo). Today I thought, well hey, this is exactly what can happen at the Olympics – it is what happened to me at the Olympics last time! I just thought I could be conservative today and go for a podium finish, or I could rally and think of it as an opportunity and that’s exactly what I was able to do,” she said.

The US women now continue to Sunday’s competition in Slopestyle to complete a solid finish of the Audi quattro Winter Games.